April
27, 2021
5 min read
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More than 17 social media platforms have at least 300 million users, and many more are out there in niche spaces. Considering the average user has eight social media accounts, how do you keep up?
The United States remains one of the largest markets to use social media. More than 246 million Americans use at least one social network to post pictures, like and comment on others’ content or send private messages.
Which platforms can you use to benefit your careers? All of them. Social media is free, which is one of the best reasons to take advantage. But there’s a way to utilize each social media platform to maximize your engagement and audience reach.
Everyone knows that you need to have a social media presence if you want a job or grow a business. Here’s how to utilize Clubhouse, LinkedIn, Twitter and TikTok for career success.
Related: 8 Business Titans Reveal the Best Social Media Tactics to Promote Your Company
Clubhouse
Clubhouse is an audio-based social media platform that has certainly been all the buzz for entrepreneurs over the past few months. According to Sensor Tower, Apple’s App Store downloads for Clubhouse passed 10 million in February. The top players on the platform regularly give away free advice, similar to what you would have previously learned in a Mastermind-type paid event. Clubhouse is like an interactive podcast, where you can interact with the host and guest of the podcast or their friends.
It offers a perfect opportunity for real-time networking. You can listen to the people you admire, or you can “raise your hand” and go onstage to share your thought leadership with everyone in the room. If you’re in a specific Clubhouse room, say one about “Building a 6-Figure Business,” you know others in the room have either done that or aspire to do that.
Clubhouse is great for entrepreneurs and is built for people who love connecting via audio. If you’re a podcast fan, this is the platform to be on. You’ll find all kinds of ages and backgrounds on Clubhouse, from millionaires (like Elon Musk) to venture capitalists, celebrities to emerging entrepreneurs. The hallway offers many rooms that dive into themes, ranging from NFTs, sports card trading or social activism.
If you’re over 18 and have a career, want a career or are an investor, you have to be on LinkedIn. It’s like your business card. When someone connects with you on LinkedIn, they can immediately paint a picture of you professionally. Your profile appears very matter of fact, showing the basics like where you went to school, your past jobs, awards and more.
LinkedIn has become more of a social platform in the business space over the past few years, adding features such as likes, comments, shares, videos and photos. Arguably, getting 10,000 views on LinkedIn is better than 100,000 likes on Instagram, because you know that the audience on LinkedIn is people who have a career, own a company, are an investor and directly care about doing business. As proof, 49% of internet users that report an annual income of at least $75,000 are on LinkedIn, and four out of five members on the platform drive decisions at their company.
Twitter is like shouting down a hallway and hoping someone responds. It’s a fun platform to interact and tweet @ businesses or people. If you have a product or service, Twitter is excellent for customer service because customers can tweet real-time problems. You’ll find that news outlets use Twitter to spread information fast to its userbase.
However, Twitter is one of the most challenging platforms to grow on. You can post a viral tweet that gets millions of views, but it may not translate to followers that benefit your business.
TikTok
The misconception with TikTok is that it’s just for Millennials and Gen-Z, but people underestimate the power of video. You don’t have to do a silly video to be successful on TikTok; you just have to make a video that’s short and creative. You might have to make several videos to get a viral reaction, but what’s the risk? A fascinating video that lands well on TikTok can result in an inbox of new business.
The best piece of advice for using TikTok for your career is to make sure your content stays authentic to your brand. You can still be a professional business while showing your creative side through a visually appealing video.
Related: A Breakdown of Every Major Social Media Platform for Business Owners
The best rule of thumb? Be omnipresent on all social media platforms, even if you aren’t going to post. It’s essential to own your name and claim your digital real estate. You don’t have to create unique content for each platform. Simply make your bio and screenname the same across platforms. When sharing content, take 10 extra minutes to copy and paste the same caption and content. You never know where you’ll find your audience or another business customer, because everyone uses social media in their way too.